Cellular communication in the UAE for tourists. Additional information about the UAE
In November 2017, the Russian operator Tele2 launched an option called “ Unlimited Internet in the UAE." The connection was not limited either in time, or in speed, or in terms of traffic volume. The price was only 100 rubles per day.
There was an anecdotal situation when the Internet was even cheaper for Tele2 subscribers in roaming than for residents of the UAE in home network. For comparison, unlimited mobile Internet at Etisalat costs 10 dirhams per day.
Now this service from Tele2 is closed for connection - it is no longer there, which is a pity.
Attention! Messenger calls not working
The UAE has strict telecommunications laws. VoIP services (voice transmission over digital communication networks) have the right to provide only two operators - these are Etisalat and DU. Other options are prohibited by law.
Get ready for the fact that Skype, Viber, WhatsUp calls will not work. Voice traffic is blocked by operators. Although messenger calls work periodically, the blocking system (FireWall) does not work perfectly.
Some users install programs on their phones to creating a VPN. If you explain in simple terms, these programs organize a "tunnel" to a special server in Russia. The phone appears, as it were, on the Internet in Russia, and instant messengers work. Theoretically, in the UAE, such a trick is outlawed - the “Cybercrime Law” of 2016.
Important! What is DATA SOCIAL
When buying Internet packages from Etisalat and DU, the phrases “250 Mb + 250 Mb DATA SOCIAL” or “3 Gb + 2 Gb DATA SOCIAL” are encountered.
DATA SOCIAL is traffic that can only be used for social networks. Moreover, only foreign social networks are charged - Facebook, Instagram, Google+, LinkedIN. That is, the Russian VKontakte and Odnoklassniki are not included in this list, traffic when using them is classified as general.
Important! Censorship
The UAE operates a system of Internet censorship. In some ways, it resembles the famous Great Chinese Firewall, but it works a little differently. There are only two telecom operators in the UAE, any blocking is easily done on their equipment. In Russia, such a system of censorship is even theoretically impossible, since we have hundreds of providers.
In the UAE may be blocked:
Any websites in the .il domain (Israel) or pages in the Hebrew language;
Resources that pose a competitive threat to the VoIP monopoly;
Not in line with the cultural, moral and political values of the UAE.
Almost any website can be banned. For example, if the site has the service “Call us through the site”. Or the site contains images of a woman with a deep cleavage. The criteria are so vague that any site can be faulted and banned.
Etisalat offers
Officially, tourists cannot use the full range of Etisalat fares. That is, if you come directly to one of the Etisalat offices, they will sell only a SIM card with a tourist tariff. You can find a SIM card with a regular tariff at resellers, which can always be found in shopping centers.
You have to pay for a SIM card in the UAE. At the time of writing, an Etisalat SIM card costs AED 55 (+5% VAT). Moreover, after the purchase, you need to wait for its activation, the procedure lasts within 1 hour. From all this, Russian tourists are often shocked.
It is convenient to replenish the balance with payment cards, which can be bought at any store. Having bought a payment card, follow the instructions on the card. Check balance - *121#.
Most tourists cannot live without the Internet for a day, they need it like air. Often people just want to share their emotions and joy with loved ones, relatives and colleagues, send them colorful pictures and videos. With the help of the Internet, it is convenient to order a taxi, find out the way on the map, order tickets for an event or find out all the information about attractions.
This article will focus on the Internet environment in the United Arab Emirates. What is better to use - SIM cards of local operators or stay with Russian telecom operators while roaming? Consider the features of the Internet and its prices in a country located on the Arabian Peninsula, what are the restrictions. If you are interested in learning more about tariffs and prices, you can immediately read the chapter “Summing up”. We will consider all the best offers.
Mobile communications in the Emirates
There are two competing telecom operators in the United Arab Emirates - Du and Etisalat. In terms of the format, SIM cards in the Emirates are no different from Russian ones. The companies are partly based in the United Arab Emirates. In their work they use GSM 900/1800.
It is believed that Etisalat mainly concentrates on the residents of the country, many subscribers of this company are served under post-paid contracts.
Du is more suitable for tourists and short-term visitors. In terms of prices, both companies offer almost the same rates. The activities of the companies are under the control of the UAE telecommunications. In the UAE, the Internet is very expensive, in terms of affordability, it is in 186th place in the world, while Russia is ranked 3rd in the ranking. The first two places are occupied by Iran and Ukraine.
Let's compare Russia and the UAE in terms of the cost of the Internet service
Take, for example, the telecom operator MTS and its Smart tariff. For 2018 for 500 rubles. the user is given 5 GB of traffic mobile internet. As for the Emirates, for $10, they provide only 0.5 GB of traffic. We conclude that in the UAE the cost of the Internet is approximately 10 times more expensive.
This rate no longer exists!
November 2017 was remembered for the fact that Tele-2 launched an option with Unlimited Internet in the UAE. There were no speed limits, traffic, as well as the time of using the Internet were not limited. The funny thing is that this option cost only 100 rubles. per day. Residents of the UAE even complained that they pay as much as 10 dirhams per day for their Internet from the operator Etisalat.
It is a pity that such an option from Tele-2 is no longer available in the UAE.
Calls through messenger not going through
The UAE has strict laws, and this also applies to telecommunications. Transmit voice over digital networks only operators represented by the Emirates can. Rest cellular operators do not use VoIP services. So be prepared that you will not be able to get through Skype, WhatsUp or Viber.
However, the blocking system sometimes fails, after all, the work of the Firewall is not perfect. Some users try to trick the system by installing VPN programs, thus creating a tunnel to the Russian server. In this case, the restrictions can be bypassed, only this is already considered a cybercrime.
Using DATA SOCIAL
So DATA SOCIAL is traffic intended for use in in social networks, and Odnoklassniki and Vkontakte are not among them.
Internet censorship
In the Emirates, there is a system that does not allow censorship into the Internet environment, similar to the firewall from China, but the scheme of work is different. Since there are only 2 telecom operators in the Emirates, blocking is easy to do on their equipment. There are more than a dozen providers in the Russian Federation, even from a theoretical point of view, such a system from censorship is not considered.
The UAE may block:
- Internet resources using the .il domain or pages using Hebrew;
- resources that, in one way or another, pose a threat to the VoIP monopoly;
- sites that do not meet moral standards threaten the culture and values of the UAE;
- Often the Emirates do not stand on ceremony when “banning” some sites. It is worth seeing on it a neckline or the inscription "Call us"
Etisalat - best deals
From an official point of view, tourists do not have the authority to use the entire range of tariffs from the Etisalat operator. Often, tourists are ready to issue only the tariff of a tourist plan.
You can bypass the restriction by looking for resellers in retail outlets. A SIM card in the Emirates from Etisalat costs 55 dirhams. An unpleasant surprise for a tourist is a rather long activation of a SIM card, about an hour. To replenish the balance of the card, you can buy special payment cards. To check the balance you need to use the combination *121#.
Visitor Line tariffs
The difference between the usual and tourist fare is hard to notice. However, tourists are offered pleasant bonuses. Eg:
- Bonuses “Buy one, get one free”;
- Free taxi ride;
- No restriction on access to UAE Wifi by Etisalat
UAE Wifi by Etisalat works almost everywhere, which means that mobile Internet may not be needed at all. What does the Visitor Line tourist fare for AED 100 offer?
55 dirhams comes to the card
1 gigabyte of traffic
60 SMS messages + 60 minutes to local numbers
700 Mb of traffic + 40 SMS + 40 min to local numbers
Residential rates
Traffic for residents costs almost as much as for tourists. The tariff for 30 days will cost 100 dirhams for 1 GB (+1 GB SOCIAL), 150 dirhams for 3 GB (+2 SOCIAL). More interesting is the option where the amount of traffic is not taken into account, there is only a connection speed limit. NON-STOP BRONZE cost is 5 dirhams per day, speed limit is 400 kb/s. For 10 dirhams per day you can get NON-STOP GOLD, there are no speed limits. Exactly this Best offer on high-speed Internet, ask resellers for such a tariff.
DU Offers
Tourist Plan package
Non-residents have the opportunity to buy only Current Package services. Let's take a look at what is included in the 7-day Tourist Plan for AED 55:
- 200 Mb of mobile internet;
- 20 minutes + 20 SMS to local numbers
Hot features:
- Extension of the Tourist Plan package. Dial * 135 # and select option 2 (mandatory condition: 5 AED in the account);
- Check your balance. Dial *135# or call 135 and press 1;
- Connect the Internet service package using a payment card or “recharge card”
Important! If you have run out of internet, then you can buy a card and replenish your traffic, and the same tariffs apply for tourists as for residents:
- 450 Mb (+450 Mb SOCIAL) - 50 AED;
- 1 Gb (+1 Gb SOCIAL) - 100 AED;
- 3 Gb (+2 Gb SOCIAL) - 150 AED;
- 5 Gb (+3 Gb SOCIAL) - 200 AED;
- 10 Gb (+5 Gb SOCIAL) - 300 AED;
- 25 Gb (+15 Gb SOCIAL) – 500 AED
Bonuses from the operator DU
When buying a SIM card from DU, you are provided with discount promo codes:
1. 20% discount on 4 UBER rides. Install the UBER application and enter the promo code;
2. 30% and 50% discounts on car rentals on the Dollar Rent A Car website. Install the application and enter the promo code;
3. Discounts and bonuses for entertainment from the ENTERTAINER go system. Discounts on entertainment are constantly changing
Internet in roaming with Russian operators
MTS while roaming
There is a tariff option "Bit abroad", a day of using the Internet will cost 450, 700 or 1600 rubles. You will be given 100 or 200 MB. traffic, when they are wasted, the Internet speed will be limited to 128 kb / s. There is also an option called "Zabugorishche", its price is 290 rubles. per day.
Beeline roaming
Unlimited Internet from Beeline will cost you 350 rubles. in a day.
Megaphone roaming
"Mir-online" will cost you 600 rubles. in a day.
Tele-2 roaming
Unlimited from tele-2 will cost 350 rubles. per day. This is a very bad option, comparing with the same Etisalat.
Summing up
- If you want to make calls using Skype or WhatsUP, then a pleasant surprise awaits you - calls through these messengers will be blocked;
- If you do not need to use the Internet often, you can go to the Du office and get a SIM card with the Tourist Plan for 55 AED;
- If you simply need the Internet in large volume, then you can use roaming tariffs from Russian operators, for example, "BIT abroad" for 450 rubles. per day or Zabugorishche for 290 rubles. per day from MTS. From Beeline, you can use "Unlimited Internet" for 350 rubles. per day, on Tele-2 for 350 rubles. per day, for Megafon - "Mir Online" - 600 rubles. in a day;
- For unlimited internet use you will need a SIM card from Etisalat with NON-STOP connection, it will cost you 3.5 or 10 dirhams per day
Important information:
- You can buy a Sim-card only with your passport;
- A SIM card costs 100 AED, the exchange rate to the US dollar is 3.65 AED;
- Points of sale are located in all shopping centers. It is better to take etisalat with less glitches than with du;
- If you only need internet, then consider the SURF tariff;
- After 6 months you will need to activate your SIM card for 50 AED;
- Tourist SIM cards are valid for only 3 months, after which you will still be able to receive calls and SMS for another 30 days, and after this time the number is blocked.
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Mobile communications in the UAE allow the use of Russian SIM cards, but roaming calls will cost more than a card local operator. It is easy to buy it with a foreign passport. There are only two operators in the UAE, whose SIM cards can be found in branded salons, supermarkets and at the airport. The mobile operator Etisalat has a special tourist tariff for 7 and 14 days.
When going on a desert safari, give advance notice of your intention so that no one is looking for you - the signal there is often weak or completely absent. The same applies to sea fishing with a significant distance from the coast.
The UAE has the most dear connection is the telephone in the room. Call from the street telephone booth cost 4 times less. For calls, there are two types of cards - Normal, only for telephone booths, and Prepaid, with which you can also call from the hotel at the minimum rate. Sold in any store and at gas stations.
WiFi in the UAE
Wi-fi coverage in UAE hotels, cafes and tourist places is stable. Mobile Internet can be paid and free on the territory of hotels, but in order to freely access the network anywhere in the UAE, it is better to purchase a special card. Severe laws block access to some political resources and the social network VKontakte. Skype also cannot be downloaded, but if it is already installed on the media, then it will be quite possible to use it.
Sockets in the UAE
Sockets in the UAE are mostly three-pin, British type. In hotels aimed at Russian tourists, the rooms also have the usual two-pin options. The voltage is 220-240 V, frequency 50 Hz. Adapters are usually available at the reception.
Holidays in the United Arab Emirates are attractive to Russian tourists for a number of reasons. At the same time, while on a trip, it is important for each person not to lose touch with their loved ones.
The cost of a call from the basic Beeline tariff is 99 rubles / min. from foreign countries. To reduce the financial burden, Beeline offers to use special options, or choose the best tariff plan.
For calls home from the UAE, Beeline offers the following options:
- "Planet Zero";
- "My planet";
- “The most profitable roaming”;
- or switch to the “All for 1800 + roaming” tariff plan.
Reference! Get information about the tariff and connected options - *110*09# - challenge.
Price
Activation of TP "All for 1800 + roaming" is free of charge, subscription fee will be 60 rubles daily. As part of this offer, the subscriber receives 15 GB of Internet and preferential terms for making calls in roaming.
Options are most beneficial when traveling to popular destinations (AOE, Egypt, Tunisia).
The cost of activating the My Planet service is 25 rubles. one-time write-off. For the rest 0 rubles.
How to connect?
Connect the offer "My planet" - *110*0071# - challenge.
Activation of the Planet Zero service — *110*331# - challenge.
Tariff plan “All for 1800 + roaming” can be connected via Personal Area or by number 0674002017 .
How to disable?
To disable the option "Planet Zero" you need to dial *110*331# , and press the call button.
Deactivate "My planet" - *110*0070# - challenge.
“Most profitable roaming” does not need to be disabled, since the fee is charged upon the fact of using a connection in roaming.
Conclusion
Traveling with Beeline is profitable and convenient! The main thing is to choose necessary service and read the terms of use before traveling to the UAE.
Some Russians are well aware of the United Arab Emirates - a country of expensive cars, harsh religious prohibitions, oil sheiks, and, well, the largest city in the desert - Dubai.
Naturally, every Russian tourist is also familiar with the local Internet, but still not to the same extent as a person living and working in the Emirates directly. The story of one of our readers, who has been living and working in the UAE for almost a year, about how the Internet works in this country, we will present to the public.
The market for telecommunications services in the Emirates is neatly divided between two major players, although Etisalat was a little earlier in this area. Now this oldest operator of the Emirates owns almost the entire cable infrastructure of the country. Also, Etisalat provides some of its services through its subsidiary Swyp (wi-fi hotspot network and mobile internet).
The younger company Du is the country's second operator in terms of capabilities and subscriber base, which owns its own network base stations mobile communications. This difference in infrastructure ownership virtually eliminates the need for both companies to compete with each other. In addition, the market between them is divided geographically and both companies are largely owned by the state.
There are also several smaller operators on the market, but their presence is negligible. Of the big names, perhaps, Virgin Mobile can be singled out.
Wired Internet
Home wired Internet in the country goes in conjunction with IPTV and home telephony. When connected, the provider provides a Wi-Fi router with its own "brand", a TV-Box and a regular phone with a cordless handset. It is noteworthy that even if you choose a tariff plan with a minimum or no additional services, you can't save much anyway.
Etilasat tariffs
Tariffs Du
High prices at low speeds is the main feature home internet in the UAE. So, basic package services with a connection speed of 20 Mbps costs 360 AED per month (100 USD), for an additional 100 AED per month you can take " speed booster", which increases the connection speed, for example, from 20 to 50 Mbps. The outgoing speed on most tariffs is 20-25% of the download speed. It is important to know that the exchange rate of the dirham to the US dollar is 3.66 AED = 1 USD.
The connection agreement is concluded for at least two years, and if the subscriber decides to terminate the agreement earlier, he will have to pay a penalty. But it is possible to transfer the connection to new address in case of relocation.
cellular
For those who come to visit the country, guest rates are available. Their cost for a relatively small data package is approximately 55 dirhams per week.
Often, it is more profitable for guests of the Emirates to use roaming than the offers of local operators.
For those who plan to stay in the country for a long time, there are a lot of different options from 50 AED to 1000 AED per month. Package data volume from 500 MB to 100 GB per month. In addition, in tariff package may include domestic minutes, international minutes, flexible minutes (domestic and international calls to a wide range of countries) and access time to Wi-Fi hotspots in public places. Unlimited mobile Internet does not yet exist here.
In general, for the comfortable use of your smartphone with several gigabytes of Internet per month, you will have to pay about 150 AED (40 USD). A separate connection fee is charged - about 50 AED.
Du base station in the shape of a palm tree
To purchase a SIM card, you need documents proving your identity. By the way, in the UAE, the law obliges operators to keep your number for you when changing the communication service provider, if you want to exercise this right.
There are two types of tariff plans here: the so-called Prepaid plans, that is, tariff plans prepaid, and contract tariff plans, which, as mentioned above, are concluded for a minimum of two years.
This is how the Big Three Prepaid Plans in the UAE look like:
Etisalat
Du
Virgin Mobile
Western guest, Virgin Mobile, is represented here only by prepaid plans. To connect, you need to install the application, select a number and a tariff plan, and a courier will bring you a SIM card in a few hours.
Contract tariff plans look a little different and are provided by only two operators. Virgin Mobile does not have this option.
Etisalat
Du
blockers
In general, a number of resources in the UAE are blocked at the request of the authorities, but often the initiative of the operator itself becomes the reason for the unavailability of a particular site. The law here prohibits sites of unwanted political organizations and sites with pornography. There are also a number of other undesirable sites that are, as it were, partially restricted. For example, VKontakte seems to be available, but internal videos from the social network are blocked. Most likely, here, as with a number of other prohibitions, religion is directly tied.
This is what censorship looks like
Banned audio and video calls over the Internet using applications. The fact is that the provision of telecom services in the UAE is licensed, calls via the Internet are equated to such services, and, consequently, almost all calls via instant messengers are banned. In chat mode, everything is available. At the same time, it is reliably known that in some hotels it is allowed to make calls via Skype. Why an indulgence is left for this messenger is unknown.
The need for blocking the authorities is explained by the protection of children and ensuring national security. However, as elsewhere, where such blocking takes place. Means of bypassing blockings like VPN are not prohibited here, but their use by citizens of the country is prohibited.
Designed for internet calls special applications BOTIM and C'Me. Formally, they are free, but after the launch they offer to deposit 50 AED for the opportunity to call through them.
In the UAE, copyright is not particularly protected, so torrents are not banned here, however, some subscribers claim that at certain times of the day they observe a problem with the availability of torrents. It is probably not worth blaming this on the amateur performance of providers, but the fact is a fact.
Some time ago, the Instagram website was blocked, on which many government officials have accounts. However, the application was available. This case also remained on the conscience of two Arab telecom giants.
Despite some inconveniences and unusual restrictions, the quality of services can be called high. UAE operators do not spare money for the construction of high-quality infrastructure of their networks. For example, GPON is very common. For the most part, everything is laid out with high quality, and Ethernet sockets peek out from the walls. Good quality and cellular signal, which is available even in a multi-level underground parking of a residential building.
Communication room of a residential building, view from the street
In general, if you look at the Internet in the UAE through the eyes of an ordinary subscriber, then everything looks more or less decent. However, those who build infrastructure for the corporate sector here have a hard time. So, there are no symmetrical channels in the Emirates as a class, there are no static IPs (or rather, you need to be in their service area). Direct connection cost optical line is 80k USD, plus the fee for monthly maintenance of the 80/80 Mbps channel is 15k USD.
In technical support, mostly Indians work with a minimum of English. It is almost impossible to solve any issues with such technical support, and when extra money is credited to the account, to your reasonable indignation, you will receive the answer "If you don't like it, don't use it." This approach comes from the fact that the country has a monopoly on communication services.
At the same time, optical breaks are eliminated within a few days, which for the Emirates is considered cosmic speed. In general, if you look at the Internet in the UAE from the corporate sector, then we are not talking about any speed, comfort and reliability.